Today's most revered, feared, and controversial Chinese novelist offers a tour d
e force in which the real, the absurd, the comical, and the tragic are blended i
nto a fascinating read. The hero--or antihero--of Mo Yan's new novel is Ximen Na
o, a landowner known for his benevolence to his peasants. His story is a delirio
usly unique journey and absolutely riveting tale that reveals the author's love
of a homeland beset by ills inevitable, political, and traditional.